1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for forming a cohesive display board.
2. Prior Art
Display boards on which items of interest may be displayed to a particular audience are well known in the prior art. Some of these display boards are made from cork or other porous material and items to be displayed thereon are secured thereto by positive mechanical fasteners such as pins, thumbtacks, etc. These types of display boards are normally used in homes, business and public places for notices, bulletins and/or information. Items secured thereto can be removed and new items afixed by removing and re-using the mechanical fastener. Another class of display boards do not use mechanical fasteners but are used where permanency is not required. The primary benefit of this display board is the ease of placing and removing the display items. The most typical display board in this class is commonly known as a flannel board. This class of display board is frequently used in lecturing or story telling and may be used in various amusement activities.
Flannel boards in the prior art are well known. A flannel board is normally comprised of a flat plate to which a piece of flannel, felt, or other suitable material is secured. The objects to be displayed also have disposed on their back a piece of material such as flannel, felt or other suitable alternative material. The item to be displayed can be attached to the display board by simply placing it on the board, in any location, and by gently rubbing the display item. The display item will adhere to the board because the interlocking of the fibers of the opposing strips of material. The display item will remain in position on the display board and can be easily removed. These prior art flannel boards are very effective for their particular uses. It has been found that many types of cloth material are suitable in the fabricating of a flannel board, the better being previously mentioned, ie., felt or flannel.
However, this cloth class of cohesive display board has specific problems which increase with use. Use causes the nap (short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface) of the flannel material to wear out, become depressed or dirty. Likewise, the nap of the display items become worn and will not adhere to the display board. This problem cannot be avoided, flannel boards which enploy cloth material simply wear out with very little use. Their life spans are short.
Flannel boards of the prior art pose other problems and have other deficiencies. One particular requirement is that the flannel material and plate must be relatively flat and the item to be displayed cannot be warped or bent, since any unevenness in the contact areas will substantially effect the cohesive force. Another dificiency is that the prior art flannel boards cannot be effectively used in the vertical position since there is not sufficient cohesive force existing between the two fabrics to overcome the gravitational force. Likewise, large objects cannot be displayed on flannel boards since the gravitational force will exceed the cohesive force and cause the object to fall.
Still another problem with the prior art flannel boards is that the back of the display item must have a strip of flannel or felt or other suitable material secured thereto. The commercial manufacturer must make the backing strips in some uniform pattern in order to be commercially marketable. On the other hand, user needs are not uniform. Hence, the user needs may not correspond with the commercial size and shape patterns available and hence, the user is forced to cut tape and piece and glue. Additionally, it is beneficial to cover a large area of the back of the display item with the flannel material to create greater surface area contact nap engagement and greater cohesive force. Covering of the surface of the display item is often difficult to do whether commercially made backing are employed or not. In other instances, the display items are either small or have intricate patterns which do not lend themselves to have secured thereto a piece of backing. It is sometimes difficult to secure to the back of some display items sufficient material to create the cohesive bond to secure the display item in place on the display board, and often the backing projects from the sides of the display items or may be exposed among internal cut-outs of the display item and partially destroy the effect of the item to be displayed.
Another problem in the prior art display boards and display objects was the inability to dispose one display item directly over another display item. In numerous instances, it is desirable to modify the display board and display items disposed thereon by placing a new display item directly over part or all of an existing display item. No prior art device provided such capability.
Flocking was not thought of as an alternate method for creating a display board until my U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,897. The Patent claims structure for a display board in which the front of the display board and the back of the display item was coated with flock, ie., crushed fiber. That invention, while conceptionally sound, in practice was ineffective, as a display surface when used in a vertical or near vertical position. Apparently, insufficient cohesive force existed between the opposing fibers. It is presumed that insufficient force existed because: (a) known adhesives so coated the fibers as to prevent them from interlocking; and/or (b) intermeshing of the fibers by themselves is inadequate to produce sufficient cohesive force.
It is particularly note worthy that all prior art flocking was accomplished by using glue that was normally applied hot to the display surface and dried, becoming hard and brittle. The display item in the prior art could not be molded, warped, bent or formed in other than a flat position. Therefore, display objects could only be planer and one-dimensional.
The present invention provides a method to produce a cohesive display object and items employing flock, which overcomes the problems of the prior art.